Alternate Crim courses in place, just in case

It never hurts to have a Plan B, especially when you're dealing with a major event that attracts thousands of participants.

So, while Crim race director Deb Kiertzner said she's been told construction on Third Avenue will be complete by race day on Aug. 25, she nonetheless has a back-up plan.

New sections for the 10-mile and 8-kilometer races that bypass Third Avenue have been plotted out by Fenton's Scott Hubbard, who measures and certifies courses for USA Track & Field.

The starting line would move slightly, with the course not changing until shortly after runners make a right turn from First Street onto Beach Street.

Instead of staying on Beach and taking it to Third Avenue, runners will make a quick left onto Kearsley Street, then a right onto Stevenson, a left onto Bluff and a right onto Chevrolet near the three-mile mark. The course is the same after that.

"You've got a major event coming up," Hubbard said. "Even though the city says it's going to get done in time, you're smart to make alternative plans, because you don't want to get stuck not having some plan to fall back on with that many people. It's not just the runners. Everybody else has to be aware of it: the people putting on the event, the police, the aid station people."

A more drastic change would take place in the 8K, which wouldn't start on the Saginaw Street bricks. The start would be moved to the intersection of Kearsley and Beach, with the course following the same route as the alternative 10-mile before turning left onto Third Avenue from Chevrolet. The rest of the course is the same.

Kiertzner said she's been told Third Avenue will be ready to accommodate runners on Aug. 24, the day before the race.

"The word from the city is we'll be good to go," Kiertzner said. "The final cosmetic additions will not be in place, such as curbs, the boulevard and all the landscaping. For our purposes, we'll have a nice, flat surface to run on. Frankly, that's my only concern.
"Not that I doubt the city one little bit, but I wanted to hedge my bets and go ahead and have an alternate course measured and certified. You can't wait until Friday morning to know it's not ready and you have to have it certified."